Prabhupāda: Knowledge received from Vedic sources. Just you are talking on the source of knowledge from the modern scientific books; similarly, we are talking also on the source of knowledge received from Vedas. It is not a religious belief or faith, blind faith. We are not inventing anything. We are talking on the basis of authoritative knowledge contained in the Vedas.
Reporter: Does this basis of knowledge include any information about beings and how they would react to people from another planet? Would there be . . . is there anything containing, you know, how they would react, how the moon people react to the earth people coming there?
Prabhupāda: Of course, such description is not in the Vedas, but in some sources we can understand that one king, he wanted to enter the heavenly kingdom, but he was opposed. He was opposed by the demigods. So much information we have got. So those who are not fit to live there or enter there, maybe they will be opposed by the inhabitants there.
And that is also natural to think. If somebody all of a sudden comes to your country, oh, there is immediately immigration department. They will see the bona fides, how you can enter. So why don't you take that also? If you are . . . if moon planet is inhabited by more intelligent class of living entities, how do we expect that without opposition you will be allowed to enter?
Reporter: So they are said to be a more intelligent entities.
Prabhupāda: Oh yes. Oh yes. Oh yes. They are living ten thousand years. Are they not intelligent? Their standard of living, their mode of civilization, their mode of thinking, everything is higher than this planet.
Reporter: Is this from this book?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hayagrīva: You say they may not be visible to us, though.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Hayagrīva: To these material eyes they are not visible.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So many things are not visible to our eyes.
Reporter: And when you speak of the analogies of one, say, a foreigner coming to another country and wanting to do whatever he wants to do there and being rejected or opposed by the inhabitants of that country, do you say only by analogy that there might be opposition to earth people?
Prabhupāda: No. There are informations, that somebody trying to enter in the heavenly planet was opposed because he was not qualified.
Reporter: So that because of this example, are you saying that if earth people were able to land on the moon that they would be . . .?
Prabhupāda: First of all, my first conviction is they will never be able. But even they are able, I do not know how they will be easily received.
Reporter: You do not know how . . .?
Prabhupāda: They will easily admitted.
Reporter: You said you don't know how they would easily be received or admitted.
Prabhupāda: Yes, by the residents there.
Reporter: The word "easily" there, I don't know how that would . . . you don't know how they would be received, whether they would be hostile or friendly. Is that right?
Prabhupāda: Naturally, when I oppose, I must be hostile. When I oppose, then I must be hostile.
Reporter: Yes. And you expect that they would oppose?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Reporter: The example of the king that wanted to enter the heavenly kingdom and was opposed, is this in this book also?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Reporter: And he was opposed by the demigods?
Prabhupāda: Demigods, or the residents in the heavenly planet.
Hayagrīva: Mike, find it mentioned there are three planets, three . . . there are the lower planetary systems, middle planetary systems and higher planetary systems. And this earth is considered to be in the middle planetary system of the universe. It's called a middle planet.
Reporter: Would that relate to anything that we're talking about?
Prabhupāda: In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated that there are three planetary system: upper, lower and middle. So ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti (BG 14.18), those who are in the modes of goodness, they are allowed to live in the upper planetary system. And those who are in the modes of passion, they are allowed to live in this middle planetary system. And those who are in the modes of ignorance, they are allowed to live in the lower planetary system.
Reporter: Now where would the moon planet fit?
Prabhupāda: Moon planet is the upper.
Reporter: Upper.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the beginning of upper planetary system. Still upper, upper, upper, there are many layers.
Reporter: Now can you explain to me . . . I have some background information about the Kṛṣṇa consciousness Society, but I don't know how to explain it in relation to the broad word Hinduism. Now how do you relate the International Society of Krishna Consciousness to Hinduism? Would you describe it as a part of Hinduism?
Prabhupāda: No. Hinduism practically we do not recognize, because this word "Hinduism" is not mentioned in any Vedic literature. It is a foreign term. The Muhammadans, they called the inhabitants of India as "Hindus." From that word, it has come to "Hinduism." Otherwise, we don't find that word in any Vedic literature. "Hinduism" is a foreign term. It is not a Vedic term.
Reporter: Yes. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness, its Vedic literature, they have some of the same books or also holy books for what we call Hindu religions, aren't they?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Just try to understand, the inhabitants of India were called by the Muhammadans from Persia and other places "Hindus." "Hindus" means the resident on the other side of the River Indus. You know the . . . you have heard the name of River Indus.
So they cannot pronounce it Indus, they say: "Hindus." From "Hindus," it has come "Hindu." So actually, the residents of India were called "Hindus." And generally, at least in, say, three thousand years ago, all the inhabitants of India were strictly followers of Vedic principles.
After the advent of Lord Buddha, a different religious system developed. Otherwise, before Lord Buddha, there was all the—not only in India; in other parts of the world—they were followers of Vedic principles. So in that sense, you can say if followers of Vedic principles are called Hindus, then before Lord Buddha, everyone was Hindu, all over the world. Not that particular part of India.
So far we have got historical reference from Mahābhārata, Indo-European stock, they are also Hindus, the so-called Hindus, followers of Vedic principles. Yes. Gradually, they deviated. Just like recently there is division of Pakistan and India. Twenty years before, this Pakistan was part of India.
Now, these Muhammadans, they did not come from outside. They changed their faith from Hindus to Muhammadans. Now they divided their property. Similarly, actually the whole planet was called Bhārata-varṣa. Gradually, people deviated from Vedic principles or imitated something else and they became different.